Letters to the Editor

Buildings like the Wool Exchange and the steep shopping streets give the city centre a lot of character.

The Kirkgate Centre is one of the finest shopping malls around, with a huge range of shops and of course the Kirkgate Market. Darley Street is Bradford's "high street", home to Marks & Spencer and many other chains.

Sunwin department store looks fantastic after its recent refurbishment and again has lots to offer over its five floors.

The Oastler Centre is a great place to buy your fresh meat, fish and fruit and vegetables. It is so much cheaper than supermarkets and the quality and service is excellent. I'd recommend it to everyone.

The surrounding streets such as North Parade are home to many small quality shops offering something a little different.

I do wish more people would come and shop in Bradford.

Just for once change your Saturday routine of shopping at White Rose or wherever else and come to Bradford. It really is a good place to shop.

Jack MacPherson, Killinghall Road, Bradford 3.

SIR - I am writing to say we have objected by letter to the closing of Mount Road, Wibsey, but our letter was overruled and the closure is going ahead in the autumn. Why?

Thirty years or more ago we and others paid a lot of money to the Council for this road doing.

The emergency services use Mount Road to avoid the roundabout. The road made up, as someone pointed out, will be another dumping ground for stolen cars and fires.

With all the new housing being put up at the top of Beacon Road/Clayton Heights, how will the traffic reach the motorway? If this road is closed, is Bradford Council going to refund the money we paid?

Surely there are more important things than wasting money on this.

A mini-roundabout in Moore Avenue is all that is needed.

Mrs V A Gill, Beacon Road, Bradford 6.

SIR - With reference the letter from Mrs Leggoe on August 9. I have known one of Jenny Sampson's neighbours for many years. She is a most caring person and until her retirement helped many people.

When the case against Mrs Sampson was first reported in the T&A, I was told by my friend that the smell from the cats was awful and faeces were left all over her lawn. Having had experience of this but on a much smaller scale, I can assure Mrs Leggoe that it isn't at all pleasant.

Clearing up before being able to mow the lawn, sometimes treading in it or getting on the mowers' blades is no joke. The neighbours put up with this situation for seven years before taking action.

I have been spurred to reply to the letter and ask Mrs Leggoe if she could endure a similar situation. Not all cats bury their faeces and again if they do it is not nice to find their deposits in the flower beds among uprooted plants.

J Scurrah, Wellington Road, Wilsden.

SIR - Jame Jackson of Birkenshaw (Letters, August 17) is to be praised for bringing up the subject of the neglected and unplayable organ in St George's Hall. Several times in recent years I have been in touch both with Henry Willis (the organ builders who rebuilt it in early 1950s) and with Councillor Margaret Eaton in an effort to revive interest in its possible re-building.

I am given to understand that a fire some years ago destroyed quite a large part of the instrument. The City administration at that time either did not claim on insurance or else it was under-insured. To re-build now would cost above £300,000.

Other towns have City Hall organs, but not Bradford. Apparently concert and recital demand for the "King of Instruments" is low.

My own claim to fame? In 1956 an address by the late Father Trevor Huddleston on apartheid at St George's found the meeting with a congregation of 2,000 and no organist! As a young 19-year-old and holding the position of Cathedral Organ Scholar, I was happy to come from the audience to fill the gap!

David K Rayner, Canford Drive, Bradford.

SIR - While I welcome the decision to provide American blood for transfusions to children born after 1995, I cannot help feeling that this is not enough. I believe that the reason for the age decision is because these children will not have been exposed to the risk of BSE having been born after legislation to remove spinal tissue from the food chain.

There will be several children, however, born between 1986 when BSE first hit the headlines and 1988-90 when legislation was enacted to prevent the spread of BSE in cattle, whose parents have not fed them beef or beef products. Are these children not to be offered the same protection?

Further, the authorities state that this is a "belt and braces" approach. Surely British blood is either safe or it is not, or is there to be safe blood and safer blood?

The authorities also state that blood cannot pass this disease, but research is tending to show the opposite, but there again the authorities have always denied each step of the progress of this

SIR - On August 12 my husband John and I were involved in a serious car accident near the city centre. Thankfully neither we nor others involved were seriously injured.

The care and treatment which we received firstly from onlookers at the scene of the accident, and subsequently at the Accident and Emergency Dept of the Bradford Royal Infirmary was of the very best. The paramedics were understanding and reassuring, as was the polite and efficient clerk on the reception desk. The doctor, nurses and X-ray staff were all thorough in their examinations, while most caring and comforting.

With all its shortcoming and faults, we must be aware at all times of the need to value and protect our National Health Service.

We must also never forget that the foundation and cornerstone of the NHS are the dedicated workers within it.

Edna Hey, Fairway Grove, Wibsey.

SIR - It must be getting near Christmas once again as we are getting bombarded with the annual Crisis in Africa campaign.

Every year we get the same pictures of starving children, for whom I feel desperately sorry. But we never seem to see any footage of half-starved soldiers, freedom fighters, call them what you wish, nibbling on their rifle butts for nourishment. They seem to be doing very nicely, thank you.

No, even on my meagre pension I think I will be able to match pound for pound all the monies donated to the fund by Mr Mugabe and the rest of his corrupt but very rich cronies across central Africa.

But then again, I suppose I will be a lone voice in the wilderness as the whole world knows that we filthy British are suckers for the three-card trick.

A Blundell, Commercial Street, West End, Queensbury.

SIR - I think the case of the man "left stranded" by the AA was an isolated incident (T&A, August 19). For a long time I had very old car which would break down all the time. The amount of times an AA patrol car came out to see me and helped me is uncountable.

I once broke down on the A1 when I was on my own and I was really scared. Cars couldn't see me as it was so dark and as I was a young woman on my own it was horrible. The AA picked me up and towed my car home even though my membership only included repair.

I have found them helpful and friendly and I am sure that this man's experience is an isolated incident.

Lia Hervey, Acomb Wood Close, Woodthorpe, York.

SIR - The need for the return of capital punishment is now greater than ever. Rapists, murderers, child sex offenders and drug dealers simply forfeit their rights to live when they commit these crimes.

I Khan, Leylands Lane, Heaton.